« Sermon for September … | Home | Sermon - 2nd Sunday i… »

Self-important Scribes and a Selfless Widow
Proper 27, Mark 12:38-44

20 11 2009 - 4:38 pm Self-important scribes and a selfless widow: what a strange pairing we have in today’s Gospel. These two little observations of Jesus come at the end of his teachings to the disciples, and just before his march to the cross.

Jesus is in Jerusalem. As Easter people, we know what this means. Jesus also knows what is ahead for him, but the disciples still are clueless. He is sitting in the temple courtyard, watching the self-important scribes striding around in their fancy robes. He tells his followers to beware of those scribes who think themselves so important. God’s temple has been defiled by the rich and powerful religious figures who have forgotten their responsibilities because they are so enamored of their own prestige. Self-important scribes and a selfless widow: what a strange pairing we have in today’s Gospel. These two little observations of Jesus come at the end of his teachings to the disciples, and just before his march to the cross.

Jesus is in Jerusalem. As Easter people, we know what this means. Jesus also knows what is ahead for him, but the disciples still are clueless. He is sitting in the temple courtyard, watching the self-important scribes striding around in their fancy robes. He tells his followers to beware of those scribes who think themselves so important. God’s temple has been defiled by the rich and powerful religious figures who have forgotten their responsibilities because they are so enamored of their own prestige.

Beware of those who make long prayers, and then trample on the poor, the outcast, the forgotten. As a matter of fact, Jesus accuses these scribes of devouring the houses of the widows. No one knows for sure exactly what Jesus means by devouring, but it is a pretty good guess that it had something to do with outrageous taxation, or outright stealing of property.

I must say, here, that Jesus is not condemning ALL scribes. They have become powerful because they can handle money and because they are literate, both in the Law of Moses and of secular rules. He IS pointing out those who have let this power go to their heads and are more interested in what they can get out of their jobs than in how they can serve through their jobs.

Sound familiar? Think about those greedy mortgage companies; or the pyramid schemers. This group that Jesus is talking about exists today and has created an economic disaster we haven’t seen since the Great Depression. The best seats in the temple? How about several houses and condos, or private planes, or any other of the trappings that the corrupt financial people accumulated. A seat in the temple is nothing compared to that.

By the way, I was amused to read that the words translated as “best seats in the temple”, could also be translated as the “First Couch in the temple”. That brings up a wonderful picture of people lounging around on couches here at St. Peter’s. I’d probably have to do more than set off the fire alarm to keep you awake, if you were on comfortable couches. The Puritans had the right idea: put uncomfortable pews in the churches so people won’t fall asleep so easily, especially during the sermon.

To get back to those scribes; none of us can avoid comparisons with the self-righteous scribes. They were so proud of themselves, so sure they were holier than anybody, so busy showing others how perfectly religious they were, that they neglected the very reason they were there: to bring God’s love and care to the poor and lowly. If they really read their Hebrew scripture, they would see that the major Law was and still is, Love God and Love your neighbor as yourself. You can’t read any of the Old Testament or the New Testament without getting that message or realizing that God ALWAYS comes down on the side of the poor.

The second half of today’s story brings in an entirely different person, the widow. Remember that widows, unless their families took them in, or left them with some kind of resources, were near the bottom of the social ladder. This widow obviously is very poor. And it is a pretty safe bet that her poverty comes from policies of the temple and the Roman rulers.

As Jesus sits there, watching, he sees the rich drop large amounts of money into the money bins, but then he notices the poor widow come up to the bin and drop in her two small coins. Being the teacher that he is, he points this out to his disciples. Then he says, “All of the rich have contributed out of their abundance, but out of her poverty, she has given all she has.”

She has given all she has: this is what Jesus wants of us. Now this isn’t a stewardship sermon. After all, the rich were generous. This is about giving all of yourself to God’s service. This is about recognizing that you live in abundance, even in these hard economic times, and giving yourself and all you are to God. It is about justice for the poor in a day when our country, which is only 20% of the worlds population, uses 80% of the world’s resources.

Who else is Jesus referring to? From our Post-Easter position, we can see that this is a foretelling about up-coming events. Jesus is referring to himself, a man living in poverty, an itinerant preacher who is about to give his all, his very life, to God’s service.

Just as the widow gave all she had to a corrupt temple that was about to fall, Jesus was to give his all, his life, for corrupt sinners, then and now. And he still gives, as we receive the bread and wine at our Eucharist. “This is my body which is given for you,” we hear. What do we give?

So then, Jesus isn’t pointing out that the rich could put more money in the money bins and that the widow could only put in her small mite. He is pointing out that the rich still had plenty left after giving to the Temple, but that the widow gave all that she had, except her faith in God. This then is what he wants, expects, of us, both as a church and as individuals. He wants all of us, just as he gave all of himself for us.

Now I don’t mean that you put all your worldly goods into the plate. That would be too easy. No, what Jesus wants is much harder: he is telling us to give ourselves totally to God. What could that possibly mean? Are we all expected to be like St. Francis, and strip in the middle of Main Street, giving all our clothes and other goods to the poor? Thank Goodness, probably not, or we’d freeze to death in this climate! Or, should we all enter monasteries? I don’t think so. It is not so much about giving, as it is about a way of being.

What would it mean to give your all to Christ? How would that look for you? I think that first of all, regular praise for and regular worship of God would be a start. Some kind of regular time spent with God, through prayer or meditation, or music, or art would be part of giving your whole self. Then would come regular service to God through service to the poor, the needy, those who need comfort, or just a friendly hand or smile. Or perhaps working for justice, for good housing, for health care. Or raising a row of vegetables for the Community Kitchen. Or being a friend to the friendless or outcast.

No one but God can tell each of you how you can give your all. I wouldn’t presume to say how any of you should give your all to God. However, I can suggest that you think about what God wants of you. What is your widow’s mite? Is it volunteering somewhere? Is it seeking out the lonely to provide comfort and friendship? Is it donating to worthy causes?

A little reminder: Jesus also said that to those who have much, much is expected. And remember just how abundant your life is. How do you then give your all to Christ, out of that abundance? I am going to give you a few minutes to think about your own abundance. While you are thinking about it, the widow will come around with a basket. Please pass your smallest coin, representing yourself, to the end of your pew. The person at the end will put the coins into the basket. While this is going on, please sit in silence, thinking about how to give your all.

I am going to end with an e-mail that I received on Friday when I was preparing this sermon. It shows just much need there is and gives just one idea of how someone could give his all in service to God. It may move some of you to help with something called the bandage brigade, which knits bandages for Lepers in Southeast Asia, specifically in Vietnam. I will be glad to tell you about this bandage brigade during coffee hour, but for now, I want to read you this e-mail.

This is just a small vignette of the hurt and need in our world. It is one small solution, one way a person could help. We can’t solve every problem, but we can dedicate ourselves to being all that God wants us to be. We can all give our mite and put our trust in God. Amen